Employing the assistance of an interim manager has been the option for many organisations who are facing a change in direction or who have been through a period of decline. However, taking on interim management might be an unwelcomed additional expense when a company is going through a time of change. The question you most likely are considering is; do the benefits of an interim manager outweigh the cost and risk?
Advantages of utilizing an interim manager:
Expertise and Reputation
When considering selecting any individual for your business, it is only natural to seek the best reputation and level of ability. However, when it relates to finding an interim manager, the market is absolutely heaving with experience and knowledge meaning that you know you’ll be equipped to hire a person of the highest quality in your industry.
Leading your business through change
Change can be a difficult time for your organisation, especially for established businesses that have worked in the same way for years. For a lot of people, change is daunting and it can be difficult knowing where to start. But an interim manager thrives on change, knows and understands how it needs to be made, and should be able to guide you confidently and expertly.
Fresh point of view
Once you’ve employed your interim manager, you’ll appreciate the benefits of that old phrase, ‘seeing the wood for the trees’. Someone who is unfamiliar with your organisation can more clearly see areas for improvement and where mistakes are being made. It might well be that your business is doing well but you're about to face a major change, this where an interim manager could help choose the right direction to take.
Building their portfolio
In a competitive industry, interim managers earn their bread and butter by the standard of work they produce. It is in an interim's managers best interest to do a good job. The reality for most interim managers is that they can’t afford the alternative.
Fixed deadlines
In order to build a good portfolio, the interim manager will have to work quickly and effectively which is in your business's best interests as well. The last thing an interim manager needs is to be identified for is not meeting deadlines and poor time management, deadlines may need to be moved for the benefit of the change but no more than is necessary.
Active implementation
An interim manager is different from a advisor in one important way; they actively implement the changes you need. An interim manager can examine your business, identify elements in need of revision, and then go on to implement those changes within your organisation, working closely with you and your workforce to make things happen, rather than leaving you with sound advice but nowhere to implement it.
Reporting directly to you
If you choose to hire an interim manager, that person will be working for you. You will have one dedicated person, in-house, who reports directly to you and only to you. That way, you can maintain total confidence in your ability to control the changes to your business.
